Today more than ever before, a passive approach to detecting and preventing economic crime is a recipe for disaster. To underscore this fact, our survey uncovered a widespread lack of confidence in local law enforcement – a phenomenon that is not limited to regions or level of economic development. The message is clear: the burden of preventing, protecting and responding to economic crime rests firmly with organisations themselves. Our survey this year focuses on three key areas – Cybercrime, Ethics and compliance programmes and Anti-Money Laundering – and explores certain common themes, including managing the risks associated with the pervasion of technology; what it means to conduct business responsibly across a widening business landscape; and integrating ethical conduct into decision-making.​

In addition to highlighting specific areas of economic crime worth focusing on, we emphasise the things you can do better to tackle them – implementing more sophisticated and effective measures that can not only reduce these risks, but also bring the benefits of a more threat-aware business, confident of its defences in a changing world.​

In your industry

"What the results tell us is that despite the millions of dollars being spent to tackle it, economic crime remains a persistent and serious issue. It may be slightly down on the last survey, but this type of crime is changing, rather than going away."

Andrew GordonPwC Global Forensic Services Leader

Forewarned, forearmed, forward​

Economic crime is ever-evolving, and becoming a more complex issue for organisations and economies. The regulatory landscape, is also changing, bringing with it numerous challenges to doing business. With local law enforcement not necessarily perceived as able to make a material difference, the onus is squarely on the shoulders of the business community to protect itself, and its stakeholders, from economic crime. As we discuss in the three upcoming sections – dedicated to the strategically crucial areas of cybercrime, ethics and compliance programmes and anti-money laundering – our survey numbers can help uncover not only potentially troublesome red flags and trends. They can also serve as vitally important indicators of areas of opportunity for forward-thinking organisations to meet the challenges of a whole new world. To be forewarned is to be forearmed for success.​